Sorting the Skeins
by Absenthe Wrae
Summary: In Ba Sing Se, while caring for Zuko during his metamorphosis, Iroh recollects the past and discovers one of his son's secrets while sorting through the skeins of his memories.
1. In Which Zuko Faints like a Girl

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, places, plots, (etc...) belong to their respective creators (that is, _Avatar: The Last Airbender _to its creators ands Nicolodean). This is a work of fan-fiction (FOR fans BY fans) and no profit is made.**

_Italics_ indicate flashback scenes.

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**Sorting the Skeins**

by Absenthe Rae

* * *

One: In Which Zuko Faints like a Girl

"You did the right thing in letting the Avatar's sky-bison go." Iroh said, turning to close the door behind him. This was the type of encouragement Zuko needed to hear right now, the encouragement he craved more than anything else, albeit not from his uncle Iroh.

Zuko did not respond. When Iroh turned away from the door Zuko was swaying and mumbling "...don't feel right..." and crashing towards the floor.

"Zuko!" Iroh cried, rushing to catch him as he fell. He didn't quite make it, but Zuko had partially broken his fall by leaning against a small table, knocking over a vase, and falling to the floor from there. Iroh lifted him onto his lap, turning him onto his back. The boy was in a faint, breathing slowly but breathing still. Iroh felt his forehead with the back of his hand. There was fever starting there; it was not high yet, but Iroh could feel it rising, could sense heat emanating from a spot just behind Zuko's left cheek bone where skin turned into scar.

"Well... this is no good..."

First things first, Iroh thought to himself, getting the boy comfortable. He brought Zuko into his bedroom, lifting him bridal-style in a way which if Zuko were conscious he would be most offended by. Iroh set Zuko down on his sleeping pallet and began to undress him. Oh yes, his nephew would be most upset by this. But Iroh had to check him over – if the fever were sourced in a wound it would have to be treated. However, a visual once-over and a laying of fire-bender hands to sense for spots of high-heat yielded nothing. Actually, Zuko's hands and feet were rather cool, despite his rising core temperature.

Iroh slipped Zuko into some comfortable sleeping pants and pulled the blankets from under him so as to lay them over. That was when he noticed something – a red mark on Zuko's neck. Could it be a hickey, Iroh thought, grinning to himself. On closer inspection he determined it to be an insect bite... that was worrying, were there poisonous spiders in Ba Sing Se? He didn't remember. Iroh let his hands linger over the bite, sensing for unnatural heat that would be under the bite were it poisoned, but he felt nothing. It was probably a regular mosquito-fly bite, there were plenty swarming around Lake Lagoai. Too bad. Iroh had hoped it to be a hickey, had hoped his nephew was doing the sort of normal things teenaged boys did. When Lu Ten had been Zuko's age he had already been slinking around with tittering young ladies. What a rascal he'd been in that way...

Iroh tucked Zuko in and went out to fetch a bucket of water from the well – normally he would pour it out of the large pitcher just outside of their door, but he wanted it cool and he knew that unless it was boiled the water in the pitcher could carry diseases; big cities like Ba Sing Se were far worse for that kind of thing, and with Zuko already sick he didn't want to risk it.

When Iroh returned Zuko was fretting. Iroh fetched a cloth and basin for Zuko, brewed himself some tea, and settled down for a long night.

It was late morning when Zuko woke again, coughing weakly. "Uncle?"

"Hush Zuko, you have an intense fever. This will help to cool you." He pressed the cold cloth to Zuko's forehead again, keeping his sleeve away from the boy's face. Zuko closed his eyes and melted into the welcome coolness.

Iroh did not go to work at the teashop that day, not that it mattered since they would have their own shop in a few week's time. He sent word that Zuko was very sick and needed to be cared for and that neither of them would be there for a couple of days. Word came back that they needn't come back ever again. Iroh sighed and shook his head. That was bitter! Or else they didn't want to believe him, which was reasonable as he was leaving for his own shop soon and had preparations to do there also and neither himself nor Zuko had been sick a day since arriving in Ba Sing Se. The boy was usually strong and healthy, though he hadn't been as a child. This wasn't the first time Iroh had nursed his nephew through a fever.

* * *

_Iroh was walking and chatting with a young guard (that is, he was dispatching romantic advice) in the autumnal gardens of the palace when he was approached by Ursa, Ozai's wife._

"_Iroh?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Zuko's sick. It looks like the same thing you and Lu Ten had when you got back from the Eastern Marshes. Can you come look at him?"_

"_Certainly."_

_Then to the guard, "This sounds urgent, we must part. Don't worry, she'll come around."_

_Iroh followed Ursa through the palace at a brisk pace, arriving eventually at Zuko's room. Azula was lurking in the hall, peering through a cracked screen door. _

"_Azula!" Ursa said, "I told you to not bother your brother. He's sick and may be contagious."_

"_I bet he's faking it."_

"_He certainly is not. Go along now. I need you to stay out of our hair."_

"_Fine." she huffed and walked off, leaving Iroh and Ursa to enter the room where Zuko was lying on his large bed, an intricate and decadently expensive fire nation tapestry hanging above. Ursa sat on the edge of the bed and began to stroke Zuko's hair. He was eight years old, or thereabouts, and not yet wearing the topknot._

"_He has a fever and has been vomiting." Ursa explained._

"_Lower his collar, I need to see his neck and chest."_

_"Mother?" Zuko stirred, "Who's there?"_

_"Hush Zuko, your uncle Iroh is here to see you. We need to look at you."_

_Ursa pulled down the blankets and untied Zuko's robe, baring him to the waist. The child was compliant with fever and blearily allowed this. Across his collar area in a V-shape was a spotty red rash, the skin there raised in little red bumps._

_Iroh ran his hands just above the rash, sensing the heat radiating from under it. He sighed heavily. "I'm afraid you're right Ursa, this looks like marsh fever. I am sorry for bringing this home to the palace, it must be more contagious than I initially thought."_

"_So we must keep the other children out of his room."_

"_Yes. You should stay out of here as well, Ozai would not forgive me if I got his wife ill also."_

"_Who will tend him then? I would rather not leave him to maid servants and healers, skilled though they may be."_

"_Lu Ten and I will nurse him. We have both suffered this before and so are immune."_

"_I would be most indebted to you." Ursa bowed._

"_It is nothing, we brought this illness home from our campaign." Iroh bowed his head as well._

_"Zuko?" The boy had been drifting off again, but opened his eyes when his mother spoke, "Your uncle Iroh and cousin Lu Ten are going to be looking after you because your sickness can spread to people who haven't had it before, but don't worry, they'll take good care of you."_

_"You mean I get to spend all day playing with cousin Lu Ten?"_

_"Once you're feeling better, yes."_

_"I look forward to it." Zuko yawned and snuggled back into his thick blankets, allowing his mother to tuck him in._

_"Get better little one." Ursa kissed his forehead and Zuko's eyes shut._

"_Now," Iroh said to Ursa, "go put your clothes in the wash and take a hot bath. Do not worry about Zuko dear, he is in good hands. I raised Lu Ten myself after all."_

"_Still, thank you."_

"_Oh, and send a healer this way as well please. And some jasmine tea for me."_

"_Certainly." A smile ghosted across Ursa's lips. She squeezed Zuko's hand and then left._

_Now, where was Lu Ten... probably off with that serving girl he was all mouse-doe-eyed on... Lu Ten and his girlfriends! Iroh sighed. He would have to give that boy a talk about sowing wild oats._

* * *

Iroh came out of his daytime reverie and rewet the cloth on Zuko's forehead. The boy stirred, his eyes opening to narrow slits. He sat up, dazed and hoarse, "What's going on."

"You have a high fever. Stay under the covers and sweat it out."

"So... thirsty..."

Remembering the bucket of water he had fetched, Iroh gave Zuko a full ladle. "Here is some clean water to drink."

Zuko drank thirstily, and then tossed the ladle aside and lifted the entire bucket to his lips, drinking even as he spilled most of it onto his bed covers. He curled up back in the damp bed coughing. This was looking worse – Iroh did not like the sound of the cough, deep and chesty, though surprisingly soft, as if he did not have enough air in his lungs. If Zuko had another night like the last he would fetch a healer the following day.


	2. In Which Li gets a Visitor

Author's Notes: Thank you to those that reviewed already, and yes, this is going to be a multi-part. I'm looking at around 5-7 chapters, each about this length (maybe longer, this one's short) and in this format (that is, Iroh's POV embedded-memory/flashback sandwiched with Zuko angst). There are no real pairings in this story aside from Zuko(Li)/Jin (not that that goes anywhere), Ozai/Ursa, Lu Ten/OC and possibly something with Iroh, I'm not sure yet and I don't want to give anything away. *cheshire smile*

I haven't written fanfiction in a long time, please leave me your thoughts!

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Sorting the Skeins

by Absenthe Rae

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Two: In Which Li gets a Visitor

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Zuko was caught deep in a fever dream. Iroh continued with what he was doing, wringing out cool clothes and mopping the boy's face.

A knock summoned him to the door. It was Jin, the young lady with messy hair whom Zuko had gone out on a date with. She looked startled for a moment and then spoke, her words tumbling over each other, "Mushi! I... I heard Li was ill... or... something. The teashop manager said you were getting your own teashop soon, congratulations. I came to... is Li here? Is he alright? I brought soup." She held up a small blue soup pot with the lid tied on.

Iroh allowed himself to smile faintly, "Li is here, but he has a nasty fever."

"Oh. Can I see him?"

"Of course. You may even try to feed him some soup if he's awake."

She lit up at that, and Iroh let her enter the apartment. "Sorry about the mess, you know us bachelors."

"Oh, no no, it's fine. You've been busy with Li." The place was clean aside from a stack of dirty dishes, if rather sparse and lived-in.

"Set that soup on the table there, I'll warm it up and put it in a bowl for him. He's in his room, here." Iroh opened the door for her and watched her enter, cautious as a mouse-doe in the city.

Jin knelt in front of Zuko-Li and looked at him, grasping his hand. "Hello Li, it's Jin. I've come to visit you. You look awful. Are you sleeping still?"

"Mother..." he muttered in his sleep, twisting and turning anxiously, "...the dragons, they're coming for me..."

"Shh, Li, it's okay."

"Would you like some tea?" Iroh called to Jin.

"Oh... yes, please!"

"Azula..." Zuko muttered, "What are you doing... no! The Avatar is mine!"

Iroh, overhearing Zuko-Li's cries, quickly came into the room. Zuko was muttering about the Avatar so he would have to be woken before he revealed too much to Jin. Iroh knelt in front of him and gently shook him awake. Gold eyes opened, recognition dawning slowly, "Uncle?"

"Yes Li," he said the name firmly, indicating to Zuko that he would have to act as Li, "you had a nightmare. You have a visitor."

"Hey." Jin waved.

He looked perplexed.

"She brought you soup, you should eat."

"I'm not hungry." He sat up.

"You have not eaten much since falling ill, it will help you keep your strength up."

"Plus," added Jin, "I made it myself."

Iroh ducked out for a moment and returned with the bowl of hot soup, handing it to Jin, and then left again to finish preparing tea.

She smiled and dipped the spoon into the bowl and blew on it lightly before holding it towards his face, "Open up for the train!"

Zuko scowled angrily, "I am not a child, I can feed myself."

"Fine, fine." She handed him the spoon, but upon seeing how his hands were shaking, she said, "But I will hold onto the bowl so you don't spill it on yourself. It's hot."

Iroh smiled to himself, listening to the conversation from the main room. This girl knew how to deal with his stubborn nephew – propose something worse and then negotiate for what you initially wanted, in this case just for him to eat.

Hot water was poured over tea leaves and herbs in the pot, sending them swirling and dancing to the surface. Iroh inhaled deeply the scent of ginger, lemon rinds, and lightly aged tea. As an afterthought he dropped in a peach blossom and a small piece of vanilla root, grinning like an idiot. Aphrodisiac tea? Never! Well, at least he'd leave out the black galingale, with Zuko sick he really ought not to...

He brought the tea into Zuko's room with three cups and poured it for them. Jin thanked him very politely and exclaimed over the lovely taste. Zuko had finished his soup by then, so he was handed a cup of tea. An awkward silence permeated the room.

"I will go wash some dishes," said Iroh, gathering up the bowl, spoon, and his own tea cup, "you two have a talk."

Zuko-Li coughed. "Thank you for the soup."

"Did you like it? I am thinking about becoming a cook, people say I'm good at it," said Jin, "Your uncle makes delicious tea. I love tea. My grandmother always makes it whenever we visit, or at least she used to. She lives outside of Ba Sing Se."

"You didn't grow up here?"

"No, I grew up in..."

Iroh closed his eyes, no longer listening to their conversation. He fetched some water and began to heat it for washing dishes. He remembered with some fondness the last time he was in Ba Sing Se, with Lu Ten. They had laid siege to the wall for two long years and were very close to breaching it...

* * *

_Lu Ten was injured. He had a broken arm, nothing terribly serious, but still a bone-setter was summoned (captured more likely) from inside of the city. Ba Sing Se was known for the finest bone-setting guild around – they did not only set bones, but they could _bend_ them as well. Bone-bending was a form of earth-bending. While the water-benders were certainly the most skilled healers, bone-benders could set bones and mend them almost instantly using subtle vibrations associated with earth-bending. Bone-bending in battle, as only the most powerful and skilled could do, was awful to behold and members of the guild were issued licenses with dire punishment should they use bone-bending with malicious intent._

_Iroh was in the corridor when the bone-setter and his pretty young apprentice left. He nodded to them and they bowed lower, but remained unafraid as only those with healing abilities could be in times of war._

_Iroh entered the room, "Lu Ten? How is your arm son?"_

_Lu Ten was on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a dazed look, "My arm? Oh, it's fine. Feels almost healed."_

"_Good, good."_

"_Father?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I think I'm in love."_

"_With who?"_

"_The bone-setter's apprentice. Her name's Ming Shu."_

"_You are a son of the fire nation, is it wise to fall in love with an earth kingdom girl, especially a bone-bender?"_

"_I don't care!" Lu Ten's eyes blazed, "I am in love!"_

_Iroh sighed. This was trouble._

"_You should approve. Her father's a member of the White Lotus society." _

_Iroh sat on his son's bed beside him. He knew better than to try to sway a fire prince in love. Yes, fire was governed by anger for some, but for others it was passion._

* * *

"Mushi?"

Iroh pulled himself from the reverie, "Yes Jin?"

"Li's getting hotter and his breathing sounds bad. He isn't... he's not making sense anymore. I told him to rest. I can go fetch a healer if you want?"

"Actually Jin, I will go fetch a healer, I know of one who can help, but I need you to do me a favour."

"What can I do?"

"I need you to watch Li for me while I'm gone. I won't be long."

"I can do that."

"You are a kind young woman. Thank you." Iroh pulled on his sandals and hat, "There is a basin of cool water and a cloth to keep him comfortable. See if you can get him to drink some water if he wakes up."

"Okay."

"Also, he may be disoriented and have some nightmares so I need you to watch over him and reassure him."

"Of course."

"Oh, and Jin?"

"Yes?"

"It's probably best that you do not speak later on of his dreams. Li has a... difficult... past and does not like to speak of it."

She nodded, "I figured that already."

"Thank you. I will return shortly." Iroh left briskly, concern speeding his gait and common sense slowing it slightly. Zuko would be just fine, he was a strong-willed (if not strong-bodied) young man.

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To be continued...


	3. In Which Wild Oats Yield Rare Flowers

Three: In Which Wild Oats Yield Rare Flowers

Iroh knew the district of Ba Sing Se he needed to get to. He dashed out into the streets purposefully, ignoring the light drizzle that was starting. Once in the healer's district he stopped, wondering how he would find the person he was looking for. There were at least two buildings with signs that said bone-setter, but he was not sure which one it could be until he saw a small design on one of the signs – a white lotus near the bottom right. It was a small shop tucked between a herbalist and an unmarked building and Iroh was relieved to see that a lamp was burning inside and they had not closed for the day yet. He went inside, coming into an empty waiting room, and approached a desk. Behind the desk was a green curtained doorway, presumably leading to the room where the bone-bender worked. Quite suddenly a child climbed up onto the desk from behind it, a little girl around eight years old. She was dark-haired, fair-skinned, and had striking gold eyes. Iroh was startled for a moment, feeling like he was no longer in Ba Sing Se; she looked more like a fire nation daughter than an earth nation daughter.

"Hullo! What can I do for you?"

"Hello there. Is the doctor in? It's very urgent."

"Just a moment." The girl hopped off the desk and stuck her head through the curtains, yelling "MO~M! Someone's here to see you!"

She climbed back onto the desk just as a woman walked through the curtains, still in the process of pinning her dark brown hair out of her face.

"Jasmine," she said to the child, "just come in and get me next time. There was no need to yell."

"He said it's urgent!" she jabbed a finger at Iroh.

The woman immediately looked to Iroh, but did not see him in pain. Then she looked at his face, her own expression becoming puzzled. "Have we met before?"

"Years ago. You knew me then as General Iroh, Lu Ten's father."

A hand went to her mouth. "Oh! Of course. I remember now. We met once or twice before... before the seige ended... and Lu Ten..."

Well, when they met the second time she had been half-naked and in the process of sneaking out a window... Iroh just smiled and nodded. The last time they'd met had been at Lu Ten's funeral service which she had snuck into the fire nation just to attend. She and Iroh had talked about him over tea and he'd provided her with an escort back to the city. She had not mentioned a child, but...

"What brings you to Ba Sing Se?" She asked.

"I am here with my exiled nephew. He is called Li here... and in public I must be called Mushi."

"Mushi?" exclaimed Jasmine, laughing, "That's a funny name."

"The rude child is my daughter, Jasmine, and my name is Ming Shu."

"Thank you for reminding me, it's been a few years. Both are very pretty names for very pretty ladies."

"You are as much a rascal as your son was."

Iroh laughed heartily, "Maybe. My nephew and I work at a tea shop down in the Maji district, but soon we will have our own teashop in the inner ring."

"That sounds exciting."

"Yes, it is. Only... my nephew is very ill right now, and I would prefer not to risk revealing our identities by seeking a healer."

Ming Shu glanced around to make sure no one was listening, "Exiled fire nation is still fire nation?"

Iroh nodded, "That seems to be how it goes here in Ba Sing Se."

"So you came to me?"

"I don't know if you can help, but I'm low on options..."

She nodded briskly and motioned for him to follow her into the back room. "Give me a few moments to pack my bag... what are his symptoms?"

Iroh followed her into the inner sanctum, a comfortable, windowless room that smelled of herbs with a high bed in the middle. "High fever, delirium, and a cough."

"Hmm... alright, some of these then..." she dropped a couple of herb jars into her bag and tossed a yellow child-sized cloak at Jasmine. "Put this on dear, you're coming along."

"Yay! House call!"

She pulled her bag shut, "Let's go."

Iroh led them out into the street. Ming Shu opened an umbrella and walked next to him, her step quick and light.

Ahead of them Jasmine flew like a yellow bird, running from one puddle to the next, cloak flowing behind her. Lamplight glimmered on wet road and they rushed along.

Iroh soon asked the question that was on both of their minds: "Is she Lu Ten's?"

"Yes. Yes, Jasmine is Lu Ten's child."

"So I have a granddaughter."

Ming Shu gave Iroh a smile that warmed him to the core, "You do."

"I will tell her once I've gained some trust."

"I have had dreams of a white lotus opening."

"A white lotus opening...?"

"Yes."

_They had breached the outer wall of Ba Sing Se and nearly taken the city. It would not be long now and General Iroh's destiny would be fulfilled. He breathed fire at the soldiers in front of him, crying, "Tell the Earth King that the Dragon of the West is coming for him!"_

_There was a fatal flaw to their plans, however; they had not expected the Dai Li to be in the palace, and only in the palace; however, quite suddenly the walls were moving, stone closing in._

"_Earth-benders!"_

_They continued to fight through the shifting stone walls and flying boulders. Iroh frowned: too many soldiers were falling, he didn't like this. Where was Lu Ten?_

"_Mukin," he said to his right-hand guard, "Go find my Lu Ten. Make sure he's safe."_

"_Yes sir."_

"_Everyone else, retreat to the wall! We will regroup later."_

_The words "retreat to the wall" echoed from one soldier to the next; someone sounded a horn, two short blows which meant to retreat to the last safe point and go into defensive/recovery mode. Already they'd done this before, when the earth-benders had proven too much while taking the outside wall, but they had returned and taken it later. War was not as clear cut win/loose as the history books make it out to be; it was made up of many small battles which went different ways, and there was no shame in retreating when you had miscalculated. _

_Iroh disarmed a Dai Li soldier, sending the man onto his back and unconscious with a well-placed kick. He then turned around to retreat himself and was met with a sight that would forever be blazed onto the inside of his eyelids: Mukin, through a haze of smoke and flames that licked a thatched fence, carrying Lu Ten's limp body. At first Iroh thought he was merely injured, but when he saw Mukin's expression the terrifying truth began to sink in._

"_I found him under a boulder, sir."_

_Iroh silently checked his son over, feeling for a breath or pulse or any sign of life. _

"_General Iroh sir?"_

_A boulder flew directly over their heads, causing Mukin to duck, and smashed nearby. Iroh stood still, silent even as battle continued to rage around him._

"_General Iroh?"_

_Lu Ten was already cooling._

"_Iroh?"_

_He looked up to Mukin and said in a gravelly voice, "Bring him, we're retreating."_

"Here we are." Iroh stopped at the stairway, motioning for Ming Shu and Jasmine to head up. He opened the apartment door and was right away greeted by Jin.

"Hello Jin, I brought the healer here. Ming Shu and her daughter, Jasmine. Jin's a friend of Li's who has been watching him."

"Nice to meet you. Li's sleeping still, if you can call it sleeping... he's really burning up."

"I will examine him right away then." said Ming Shu, "Can I order you both around a little?"

"Anything for my nephew."

"What can I do?"

"Jin, heat up some water for tea and get some fresh cold water as well. Jasmine can help you."

"Right!" Jin picked up the bucket and led Jasmine outside. She had a little sister and so she knew that this assignment also involved keeping the little girl out of the way while the grown-ups were working.

"Iroh, come in here with me and tell me when this first started. I need details."


End file.
